The Price to Pay
by BlueDemise
Summary: And in this split second, this one moment of tenderness, Daryl's not sure if he wants to let her go. Eventual Daryl/OC. Rated M for language, gore, and sexual themes.
1. Lost and Found

_The Price to Pay_

_By BlueDemise_

**AN: This story is set shortly after the group takes over the prison. I'm not sure what Daryl's exact age is, and a lot of people put him in his late thirties to early forties, but I'm going to call him thirty-three (I can't have him be **_**too **_**old, now can I?). And though I do respect everyone's ship(s), this is **_**mine**_**. Enjoy the read, dear Reviewers! No flames, please; I burn easily!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC.**

It's one of those quiet, rainy nights. A figure stumbles through the dark forest and tries desperately to find shelter, her breath wisps and curls from her mouth in a gray vapor. A root catches her foot and sends her tumbling. Her arm lands on a rock, blood seeps from the wound and stains her jacket. The girl shakily stands. She looks to her right, no Lame-Brains. She looks to her left…shit, Lame-Brains. The young woman scrambles to a tree. The branches hang low enough for her to pull herself up. For a moment she forgets the pain the gash on her forearm radiates. The several corpses she spotted picks up on her living smell and sound…slowly they begin to lumber towards her, moaning and gurgling. The girl lets out a panicked gasp and swings fully onto the first branch, and then she starts to climb higher. Lame-Brains may be able to…well, walk and eat, but she's certain they can't climb…right? The dead stop at the base of the tree, unsure of what to do. A few of them paw at the wet, mossy bark. One snaps his rotting jowls, dead black blood oozes from his lips. The others reach for her, their grimy fingers twitch six feet below her ratty converse. She still wonders why she hadn't traded them out for something a little more…durable. Tears leak from her blue eyes.

She pulls her backpack from her shoulders and sets it in front of her. She digs for her flashlight and rope.

The length of coiled fiber is old, but strong and sturdy. The girl ties herself to the tree, then reaches back for a fleece blanket neatly folded at the bottom of her pack; it's really fucking cold out. She fingers the bill of her father's old baseball cap absentmindedly. She leans into the tree and closes her eyes, one last tear cuts through the grime on her cheek.

_**OOO**_

Daryl Dixon is pissed. The dear he'd shot no more than an hour ago had made a meal for a group of Walkers. He has a reason to be out, searching for something, _anything_. He walks with purposeful strides across a gravel road. A forest stretches out before him. Daryl raises his already loaded crossbow, eyes watching for movement. He climbs a small ravine and continues deeper into the birch and oak. Everything's still wet from the previous night's rain. Daryl spots a blood trail. Normally, he would keep on walking, but this intrigues him. It's red, not black or brown. Whatever had been walking-more than likely a human- judging by the footprints, was or _is_ alive. He follows it east; where the footprints are pointing.

It doesn't take long to reach the end of the trail. Another group of Walkers are huddled around a thick oak tree. Daryl stops for a moment and looks at his crossbow. Then, he raises the sight to his eyes, and pulls the trigger. A Walker drops to the forest floor, the others turn to him, their dead are eyes wild. One by one, Walkers continue to fall as Daryl fires more bolts at them. The last Walker is a big one, but goes down easily with an arrow between his eyes. Daryl inches his way around the bodies littering the ground, "These're some ugly sons of bitches…"

_**OOO**_

A voice. She hears a voice, and for the first time in a long time, it's _alive_. The girl leans to her side and spots a man. A real, living, breathing man. "H-hello…?" she croaks, "Up here."

Daryl's eyes dart to where she is perched, a dark brow raises, "The hell you doin' up there, missy?" he asks harshly, his southern drawl is thick.  
"I was trying to…you know, not get eaten by _those _guys" she points to the downed Lame-Brains.  
"And, well…I figured I'd just climb the tree" she adds a moment later.  
"That was fuckin' stupid of ya. 'Cause ya _do_ realize at some point, yer gonna have'ta come down, right?"  
"Hey, it's better than getting eaten alive, now isn't it?"  
"Just git down 'ere! I don't got all day" he says impatiently.  
"Okay, okay…just…hang on a second, please."

The girl carefully makes her way down after packing her things, her foot slips on a rather slimy branch, and she lands ungracefully on her back. She clutches her neck. Mud cakes her jacket, and her wheat-blonde hair drips with freezing dew.  
"_Ouch_…note to self: never climb a tree ever again."  
"Dumb yuppie girl. C'mon, git to movin'"  
Daryl pulls her to her feet by the front of her not-so-white T-shirt. He doesn't give her time to thank him.  
"You bit?"  
The girl chuckles, but humor is not present, "If I _was_, I'd be dead."  
"What's that on yer arm?" he points to the dried blood crusting the frayed end of her sleeve.  
"A cut; I fell last night, hit a few rocks…"  
"And ya do realize that if yer lyin', I won't hesitate to put an arrow 'tween yer eyes, right?"  
There's no hesitation in her answer, "Yes, I promise, it's just a scratch."  
They begin to walk, Daryl leads, and they come across the same ravine the older man had previously crossed. The trek is silent, the girl doesn't like it.  
"So…my name's Elliot."  
"What kinda name is that for a girl?"  
"My dad wanted a boy. It doesn't matter, though; Elliot's a unisex name, anyways. I go by Ellie."  
Daryl snorts, "Whatever. Just walk a little faster, will ya? Yer slower than an ol' mule in winter."  
"Sorry. I'm…really, _really_…tired. I didn't get much sleep last night."  
"Do ya think bein' tied to a goddamn tree might have somethin' to do with it?"  
"Not so much the tree, but more like the rotting corpses right under it. Thank God for rope."  
"Amen."  
"Yeah…hey, I didn't catch your name."  
"I never told ya. Daryl Dixon."  
Ellie holds out her hand, "Nice to meet you, Daryl."  
Daryl stiffly returns the gesture, "Eh, sure. C'mon, we don' have time for all this 'It's nice to meet you' bullshit."  
"Where're we going?"  
"A prison not too far from 'ere, me and a group of folks claimed it a few days ago."  
"But…isn't it filled with Lame-Brains?"  
"It _was_. We cleaned out most of 'em."  
"M…most?"  
Daryl smirks, "There're some still in the lower cells, ain't nothin' too much to handle."  
"Oh, okay."  
"We're almost there. The rest of the group's expectin' me to come back with food, not another mouth to feed."  
Ellie doesn't say anything to this.  
Daryl fixes her with a neutral gaze, "They're good people. Hell, Rick _jumps_ at the chance to add someone else to the mix."  
"I knew a guy like that once up in Kansas."  
"Yer from Kansas? Heh, makes sense I s'ppose."  
"Yeah. I grew up in Wichita. When this whole thing started…I guess my family and I just wanted to wait it out, but we had to leave eventually. I lost them a while back; we hadn't even left the state. A herd surrounded us. I was the only one who managed to get out alive."  
"M'sorry 'bout yer family."  
"Me too."  
"So why come down 'ere to good ol' Georgia?"  
"My family's original plan was to go to Atlanta, I just figured I might as well go anyways."  
"Dumb move; Atlanta's gone."  
Ellie sighs, "I know…"  
"You saw it?"  
"Yeah, a few weeks ago…can't tell you how many Lame-Brains almost got me."  
"You and I both, kid."  
"I'm twenty-one, actually."  
"Are you fuckin' with me?"  
"Nope" she pops the 'p', "I'm just short."  
"Jesus…"  
"What? Did you think I was fifteen or something?"  
"Somethin' like that."  
"I wish."

They come to the edge of the forest, the large gray building looms before the two.  
"Home sweet home."  
Daryl starts ahead, the Lame-Brains behind the chain-link fence claw at it. He turns when Ellie doesn't follow.  
"Well? What're ya waitin' for, Yupp? Time to meet the family."

**An: So much dialogue…anyways, I hope you all liked the first chapter. And in case you're wondering, Yupp (shortened version of yuppie) is Daryl's new nickname for Ellie. I'll have the next chapter up soon. Bye!**


	2. A New Home

_The Price to Pay_

_By BlueDemise_

**AN: And we're back! You guys eager to see how Ellie's going to fit in? Here's a shout-out to all the Wichita Kansans! I live in a small town just fifteen minutes from there, Augusta, but I always love going to the city, so I know the place well enough to describe Ellie's life before the world went to utter shit. Enjoy the read, everyone! (I know that Beth and Maggie sang The Parting Glass, but I'm going to switch it up a bit. Ellie's going to sing it instead, though that part will come later on. Don't hate me! And I don't know who's actually alive in the beginning, but I'm going to say the prisoners are already dead, so…yeah.)  
P.S. - I want to thank **_**Allisond68**_**,**_** RachelNicole523**_**,**_** TransFanFreak101**_**, **_**sunstar234, HipsterCyote, **_**and**_** zaii **_**for following, it means a lot to me. I also want to acknowledge **_**jomaxrox**_**, **_**sunstar234**_** and **_**Lilly72**_** for adding this crap story to their favorites, thanks! By the way, T-Dog is still alive for the moment.**

_**sunstar234**_**- Thank you so much for the review, the follow, and the favorite! I'm very glad you like it, and I can only hope to keep it up! Enjoy!**

**This chapter is for you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC.**

Ellie stiffly walks with Daryl up the gravel path that leads to the prison's doors. She has a tight hold on the back of his winged vest, and he shoots her a glare. But she still doesn't let go.

Daryl stops.  
"Relax, Yupp; I can feel ya shakin' through the leather. Ain't nobody gonna hurt ya. Like I said, them folks are good people."  
"I haven't been around…_alive_ people since this whole apocalypse thing started. Don't blame me for being a little nervous."  
The older man laughs at this, "Ya handle yerself well enough 'round me, now don't ya?"  
"That's different; you saved my life" Ellie blanches.  
Daryl sighs and shifts his weight, "Anybody else here would have done the same damn thing, now c'mon."  
Ellie remains silent.

They continue their walk.  
Daryl glances at Ellie for a moment, "They all must be inside; don't see 'em at the front."  
The smaller girl peeks around his back, "Oh…alright."

The Lame-Brains on the other side of the fence congregate, pushing, clawing, _biting_ at the metal.

Ellie feels a pang of remorse stab her chest, but it's quickly replaced by fear. She shivers. She remembers the moment she lost her family. The blood, the screams, the cries for help. Help she couldn't give. Tears brim over the edge of her already red-rimmed eyes, she sniffs and wipes her nose with her sleeve.

Her thoughts and inner suffering are interrupted as they arrive at the front doors, Daryl flings them open.  
"Git in."

_**OOO**_

The two survivors find the rest of the group in the cafeteria. They look at Daryl, expecting to see him with food. But their eyes widen when they see a shivering girl clutching his vest. Rick quickly stands and jogs over to them.  
"Who's this?" he asks kindly.  
"Jus' a girl I found up a fuckin' tree" Daryl barks rudely.  
Ellie shoots an irritated glance at the scruffy man beside her, "My name is Elliot."  
"Don't got a last name?"  
"It's Price."  
Rick shifts his eyes to Daryl, who had walked over to one of the tables to sit down.  
"My name's Rick, why don't you come over here and sit? I'm sure we can assume you're not bit, right?"  
Ellie gives a wavering smile, "Yeah."

Rick leads her to the table.  
He gestures to the people, "Elliot, this is the group."  
"Please, call me Ellie. And it's very nice to meet all of you."

A woman taps the empty space beside her, "Here darlin', sit. Excuse the pun, but you look dead on your feet."  
Ellie giggles, "I feel like it. Thank you."  
Another person from the table, an Asian, speaks up.  
"So what's your story?"  
Ellie shrugs "The same as everyone else's."  
"Tell us anyway."  
The entire group, with the exception of Daryl, eye her curiously.  
"Well…before this started, I was a barista for a local Starbucks in Wichita. I was in my sophomore year of college; I was studying small business management. And I lived in an apartment not too far from campus. Um, I had an older brother named Jake, and a younger brother named Anthony. My parents were pretty well off; they lived in a nice house in the fancy part of town. When the outbreak started, we figured we'd just try to wait it out, but that was a really stupid idea. The last broadcast my dad heard said that Atlanta was a safe zone…that was _months_ ago. Heck, maybe a year ago. But we had to leave. We had just gotten into a neighboring town, Augusta, when a herd surrounded us. Jake and his wife and son were crowded. Anthony was dragged off by a few Lame-Brains, and my mom and dad went after him.

"The only reason I survived was because the dead were too busy eating my family. I ran to the nearest fire escape, sat on the roof of an old building I can't remember the name of, and I cried. For _hours_. The next morning, I looted a store down the street, and left. A part of me knew that Atlanta wasn't safe anymore, but I guess I just wanted to see for myself."  
Ellie shuffles in her seat, she twiddles her thumbs.

Rick leans forward, his arms rest on the table, "How did you get down here?"  
Ellie laughs, "What do you think? I walked, but if I was lucky, I'd jack a car."  
The Asian boy speaks again, "How many Walkers have you had to…?"  
"Walkers? Huh, I prefer Lame-Brains. Not very many. I mean, yeah, there were a ton of them, but there were only a few instances where I actually _had_ to."  
"What do you mean?"  
Ellie shrinks back a little, "I kind of just…snuck around them, kept quiet, did my best to not startle them either. On my way to Atlanta, I only went to the small towns, the ones that didn't have as many Lame-Brains as the big cities. After Atlanta, I passed one not too long ago…oh, what was the name…I can't remember. But I managed to get some supplies from the hospital. God, there were so many bodies…but enough about me, what about you guys?"

The woman sitting next to Ellie pats her shoulder, "My name is Carol."  
The Asian raises his hand and grins, "Glenn."  
A man with a missing leg smiles, "I'm Hershel Greene, and these are my two daughters Maggie and Beth" he places a hand on each girl beside him.  
The woman sitting beside Carl nods and rubs her swelled stomach, "Lori, Rick's wife, and this is our son, Carl."  
The little boy sitting close beside his mother waves to Ellie with a friendly smile plastered on his cheeks.  
An African-American man on the floor next to Daryl tilts his head upward, "T-Dog."

Ellie shifts in her seat, "Again, it's nice to meet all of you. And Daryl?"  
The man looks at her, "What is it, Yupp" it's not a question.  
"I owe you. Big time."  
Daryl scoffs, "Just don't do anythin' stupid, ya hear?"  
Ellie nods, "Yeah, loud and clear."

Rick looks at the two, a smug smile plays on his lips, "Daryl, since you found her, she'll be your responsibility."  
Daryl and Ellie speak in unison, "_What?!_"  
"I ain't watchin' over little ol' Yupp over 'ere, ain't no way."  
"Are you crazy? I'm fine on my own."  
Rick laughs, "If what Daryl said was true about finding you up a tree, you're most definitely _not_ fine by yourself."  
Ellie purses her chapped lips, Daryl curses.  
Rick eyes the two warily, "I don't want to hear any complaining out of the both of you. Daryl, why don't you show Ellie where the cells are?"  
Daryl rolls his eyes, "Fine."

_**OOO**_

"Is it okay if I take the one next to yours?" Ellie asks quietly.  
Daryl huffs a sigh, "Yer askin' a lot, Yupp. But if ya want, ya can take the cell on the right."  
Ellie's lips curl a bit, "Thank you."  
An awkward silence blooms in the air around them.  
"Well…I guess I better get to sleep" she peers into her cell.  
"Wait. Is that…is that a _mattress_?"  
Daryl shrugs, "Don't think I need to tell ya that, girl."  
Ellie laughs a real _true_ laugh, "Freaking awesome!" she trills.  
"Jesus, Yupp, calm the fuck down."  
"I'm not sure if I want to, but seriously, this is great. Tonight, I will sleep well!"

Daryl shakes his head and turns into his cell, "Jus' be quiet about it, Yupp."  
Giggles dance from Ellie's lips, "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Dixon."

With careful steps, she walks into her cell. It's small, but so heavenly _simple_. The walls are bare of anything save for a cracked mirror and two bunks attached by chains. A lone, old mattress lies on the floor on the far side of the room. Cracks and divots pepper the floor and ceiling. The cell smells dank and musty. It's wonderful.

It's _home_.

Ellie sets her bag on the floor after pulling out her fleece blanket. Her eyes droop heavily as she falls onto the pallet.

Sleep drowns her within minutes.

**AN: Yay! Another chapter written! Tell me how you guys like it! And I'm open to suggestions, just PM me! Don't forget to Review!**


	3. Pac-Man

_The Price to Pay_

_By BlueDemise_

**AN: Alright! Who's ready for this chapter? And yeah, I know that Daryl didn't like the cells, but remember, this is Fanfiction. I do what I want.**

_**Megan The Legit**_**- Awesome! It's nice to know that I've got fellow Kansans out there! Enjoy the read! *waves wheat flag* "Go Kansas!"**

**I want to thank **_**lucylu0508 **_**for adding this to their favorites!**

**In addition I want to thank **_**Paper Grenade**_** (epic pen name by the way!) for following!**

**I'm still open to any suggestions! Also, if anyone would like to do fan art of this story, that would make my day!**

It's late in the morning when Ellie wakes up. At first, she forgets where she is. The stiff mattress she's laying on reminds her of the day before. The tree, Daryl, the prison…

She hears voices outside her cell. One gentle, feminine. One deep, masculine.  
"Rick told me you're goin' on a run with him and Glenn today. He wanted me to give you this."  
"A canteen?"  
"It's hot outside, Daryl. You need to keep yourself hydrated."  
"I don' need no water."  
"Daryl…"  
"I'm _fine_."  
There's a pause, then Daryl speaks again.  
"Yupp woken up yet?"  
"Her name is Ellie."  
"Whatever."  
"And no, she hasn't. Poor girl…this must be the first she's slept in a while."

Ellie shifts, too caught up in their conversation to go back to blissful sleep. She squints, and blurrily spots Carol peeking into her cell.  
"Ellie, honey, breakfast's gettin' cold."  
"She ain't wakin' up, Carol."  
"Hush, hush. Ellie? C'mon, darlin', wake up."

The girl's eyes flutter, revealing her sapphire orbs.  
"Okay…how long have I been out?"  
Carol smiles warmly, "'Bout ten hours."  
Ellie sighs and rubs her crusty eyes, "Alright, I'm up."

_**OOO**_

The rest of the group is sitting around the tables in the cafeteria. A can of kerosene is boiling some concoction of lintels and rice. Ellie's mouth waters.  
Carol pats the younger girl on the shoulder, "Our food supply is meager at best, but we hope it's enough to get us by" she murmurs.  
Ellie looks up at the woman, "I'm sure we'll find more food eventually."  
"When was the last time you ate, darlin'?"  
"Yesterday morning. I…ate some, uh, grass…"

Daryl chuckles.  
"Ya did what, Yupp? Ya ate _grass_?"  
A rosy blush blooms across Ellie's cheeks, "Yeah."  
The chuckles become louder, Daryl's shoulders are shaking.  
Ellie nudges the dirty man's arm, "Hey! You do what you can to survive, right?" she retorts.  
"Fair 'nough."

Carol leads Ellie to the tables.  
"Let me grab you and Daryl some bowls. Have a seat if you like."  
"Thank you."

Rick looks up from his half empty bowl and motions for Ellie and Daryl to join him and a few others.  
"Sleep well?"  
"Best I have since the end of the world."  
The former Sheriff across from her only nods with a small smile.  
Glenn's eyes are curious, "Can we ask you a few more questions?"  
"I don't see why not. Go ahead."  
"Winter just passed, how did you get through it?"  
Ellie shrugs, "Luck, I guess. There's a small town back west of here, I holed up in one of the houses."  
Glenn and Rick nod.  
"How bad is it up north? We heard that Kansas and Nebraska were safe-zones."  
Ellie twiddles her thumbs, "Well whoever told you that is a dirty liar, the north is just as bad as the south."  
Rick decides to cut in, "Can you shoot?"  
"Of course I can, it's just been a while since I have. But I think I can nail a Lame-Brain."  
"You had a bag last night, care to tell us what was in it?"  
"Not at all, let me grab it."

She leaves the cafeteria just as Carol is bringing two piping hot meals.

Ellie arrives a few minutes later. She unzips the grimy pack.  
"Alright, I have an old flashlight, some extra batteries-those took me for_ever_ to find- a blanket, half a pack of matches, a few water bottles, um, my phone, its charger, headphones. I don't even know why I kept those; they're obviously useless…oh, and my gun" she pulls out the pistol nestled at the bottom. She doesn't tell the group about the necklace she keeps in the side pocket.  
She hands it to Daryl.  
"Sweet piece, where'd ya git it, Yupp?"  
Ellie chews on her lower lip, "My dad gave it to me before we left Wichita."  
No one speaks…until Daryl checks the clip.  
"Only one shot?"  
Ellie looks at her dirty converse, "I…um, well…it's for _me_. Just in case I, you know…give up, I guess."  
She takes a deep breath, "After a while of travelling on my own I kind of started to go a bit loopy. That gun was starting to look pretty friendly until I watched a family pass by. They didn't see me of course; I was hiding in a tree. Just a man, his wife and two daughters. They were laughing and smiling and trying to make this world we live in seem less crappy. That's when I _knew_ that I couldn't give up on myself so easily. If they could survive, so could I. So that's what I've been doing ever since. You could say I treat my life like a game of _Pac-Man_. Those little ghosts are the Lame-Brains and I want to see how long I can last."

Everyone is in a silence. They stare at the girl standing before them.

An embarrassed flush creeps up Ellie's neck. She quickly (and awkwardly) sits and regards her meal. She shovels the food into her mouth. It doesn't take long for her to finish it.  
"Thank you for the food."  
Carol is the only one to speak, "You're most welcome, darlin'."

Daryl snorts and shakes his head, "If ya never used the gun, how did ya kill any Walkers?"  
"I had a baseball bat a while ago. After that, I used literally anything I could get my hands on. One time, I used a broken glass bottle. Man, that was one heck of a day…"  
"Crazy yuppie girl."  
Carol lightly slaps Daryl's arm, "Oh, stop it."  
"I'll stop when I wanna."

Ellie laughs, "It's fine Carol, really. I don't mind."  
"Well I do."

Rick shifts in his seat uncomfortably, "Uh, Ellie, as far as duties go around here, the women usually do the cooking, cleaning, and other domestic chores. But we have nothing against letting them go on watch or runs. Since you're new, would you mind sticking to the simple things? At least, until we know you can handle other jobs."  
The young blonde grins, "I don't mind one bit."  
A relieved sigh flies from Rick's lips, "Good, good."

Ellie flashes a smile toward Carol, "Would you like me to help with cleaning up breakfast?"  
A giddy gleam sparkles in Carol's eyes, "I would love it."  
"Let's get started, then."

_**OOO**_

Ellie looks for Daryl after cleaning. The prison's many corridors and rooms confuse her. Carl had offered to show Ellie which way to go, but she politely declined. Now, she wishes she said yes. She passes Lori, who avoids her as best she can.  
"Lori, wait a second."  
The pregnant woman turns towards her, "What?" her question is short, clipped, _irritated_.  
_'It must be the pregnancy…'_ Ellie muses.  
"Well?"  
"Oh! Um, right. Have you seen Daryl?"  
"He, Rick, and Glenn went on a run about an hour ago."  
"Oh…okay. Do you…do you want to hang out for a bit?"  
Lori's face softens, "Sure."  
The two women sit at a nearby bench.  
"Are you worried about Rick?"  
"Of course I am. My husband is _always_ doing something for the good of the group. I just wish he could _slow down_. Why were you looking for Daryl?"  
"I don't really know…I guess I just wanted to talk to the guy."  
"Hmm…"  
Ellie lets out a nervous cough, "So, um…when is the baby due?"  
Lori scoffs, "Any day now."  
"I'm happy for you."

Lori doesn't say anything. She simply stands, looks back at Ellie, and continues her walk.  
"Um…bye?" Ellie mumbles.

With a soft sigh, Ellie trudges toward her cell. She spots Beth sitting with Carl in the cafeteria. They're talking.  
"Hey, guys."  
"Oh, hey Ellie" squeaks Beth.  
Carl excuses himself for watch.  
"So how's it going?"  
"Fine, I was just talkin' to Carl."  
"Yeah, I saw that."  
"Course ya did."  
Ellie spots a length of fabric in Beth's hands, "What's that?"  
"Oh, it's just one of my daddy's shirts. He wore a hole in it the other day."  
"Ah."  
"D'you know how to sew?"  
Ellie smiles and looks at her clasped hands, "I did when I was little. Not anymore though."  
"I could teach ya."  
Ellie's answer is almost immediate, "That'd be nice."

_**OOO**_

The Georgia sun is setting by the time Daryl and the others return. They all look exhausted. Earlier, Carol had prepared another meal. The men have no complaints as they wolf down their food. Ellie sits by Daryl.  
"What all did you find?"  
"Nothin' much. Few cases of bullets, some clothes, less than a dozen canned foods."  
"Oh. How many Lame-Brains did you see?"  
"A shit ton."  
Ellie laughs, "I'll take your word for it."

_**OOO**_

Ellie can't sleep. It's happened often. She knows she should be able to let the gentle fingers of dreamland hold her in a warm embrace. Yet the girl lies here, staring at the cracked ceiling.

She reaches for her backpack and quickly unzips the side pocket. The silver chain inside is simple. A small heart-shaped pendant is modestly adorned with her birthstone; sapphire. It was a gift, in fact it was the last gift Ellie received from her mother before the apocalypse. She can barely remember her twentieth birthday. But she remembers how her mother had that special twinkle in her brown eyes. How her mother's eyes became teary. How her mother smiled as she presented Ellie with the necklace.

With a faint ghost of a smile and a few tears, Ellie closes her eyes. She doesn't open them this time.

**AN: Woohoo! Chapter three? Done! I hope you guys liked it, don't forget to Review (because I really, **_**really**_** love Reviews!).**


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